A drop in tourism during the coronavirus crisis is making it more difficult for some organizations to protect 1. (threaten) wildlife in Africa. Wildlife 2. (official) fear poaching (偷猎) activity will rise because the collapse of the travel industry leaves less money for guarding animals.
African rhinos have long been 3. threat from poachers who kill them for their horns. The illegal trade is fueled by the belief, in some cultures, 4. the horns have medicinal value which has not been proven by science.
The number of black rhinos in Africa 5. (increase) slowly. But a report in March by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said it still considered the animals “critically endangered”. In part, it credits the comeback of the rhinos to effective law enforcement. 6., the enforcement measures are very
costly. The organization spends about $10,000 each year for every rhino to pay for the protection.
The IUCN expects to lose $3 to $ 4 million this year and the 7. (lose) severely limits the group’s ability 8. (protect) the rhinos. Wildlife activists across Africa are now waiting to see how poachers will react to the current situation, and whether more rare wildlife 9. (kill).
The IUCN said the population of black rhinos grew at a 10. (year) rate of 2.5 percent between 2012 and 2018. Now, there are more than 5,600 animals. That growth was predicted to continue over the next five years, the environmental group said.
It is 5 am and it’s too dark to see the fields of volcanic rock and trees on either side of the highway. But over the lights of my car, I get a taste of the _________ I’m really here for, as a few stars pierce（穿透）the inky _________ sky.
Today our relationship to the universe is largely connected by _________, such as telescopes and NASA assignments. But for thousands of years, humans could _________ look up on a clear night to be _________ at the bright spots that stretched directly over them.
But over time, we’ve _________ ourselves from our sky, building a covering of artificial light between ourselves and the dark depth of space. Our _________ , neon signs (霓虹灯), and other electric lights are increasingly flooding the night sky and _________ the stars. _________, about one third of the world’s population cannot see the Milky Way from where they live. And some can’t even recognize it. The sense of wonder for the night sky ____________, and that means something vital to humanity is lost as well.
That’s why I’ve dragged myself out of bed hours before ____________. Like 99 percent of Americans, I live with ____________ pollution and I’ve never seen a truly night sky. So I’m here to ____________ my first glance.
As I ____________ out of the car, I ____________ raise my face up towards the sky, worrying whether I can make it. There it is, ____________ across the sky as far as I can see. The Milky Way is so vivid that my eyes don’t even have to ____________ the dark to see it.
I expect to feel the ____________ of the sky, perhaps as though I’m falling into a bottomless hole. Instead, the blanket of stars above me is so thick that it is hard to ____________. In black and white, the whole scene feels surreal. As I get back in the car, I pass a ____________ that says “Never Stop Looking Up”.
1.A.view B.issue C.event D.cause
2.A.bright B.black C.blue D.dirty
3.A.emotion B.survey C.imagination D.technology
4.A.completely B.hardly C.simply D.rarely
5.A.depressed B.frightened C.confused D.amazed
6.A.excused B.distanced C.freed D.defended
7.A.shops B.decorations C.streetlights D.buildings
8.A.covering B.beating C.unlocking D.reflecting
9.A.However B.Instead C.Therefore D.Meanwhile
10.A.increases B.disappears C.struggles D.pours
11.A.sunrise B.dark C.sunset D.dusk
12.A.noise B.air C.waste D.light
13.A.turn out B.search for C.apply for D.figure out
14.A.step B.look C.wonder D.think
15.A.formally B.confidently C.nervously D.casually
16.A.putting B.walking C.cutting D.stretching
17.A.adjust to B.turn to C.depend on D.throw away
18.A.length B.width C.depth D.strength
19.A.test B.weigh C.catch D.measure
20.A.note B.sign C.letter D.signal
It is amusing that yogurt, which was invented to make milk last longer before the days of refrigeration, now makes grocery shopping last longer. Full-fat, or nonfat? Greek, or regular? 1.
A key recommendation when it comes to fat is to choose low-fat or fat-free yogurt. That's because dairy fat is mostly saturated (饱和的), the type linked with increased risk of heart disease. Besides, full-fat dairy has more calories than nonfat.
This view, however, has been challenged by a few recent studies. Researchers think that full-fat dairy might offer some as-yet-unknown health benefits. It might also help with weight management because the fat in it makes it more satisfying, helping keep our appetite in check.
2. Until there are further findings, it might be wiser to choose low-fat or fat-free yogurt and add healthy fat by topping it with nuts.
3. Many of them also have a hard time deciding whether to buy Greek yogurt or regular yogurt. Greek yogurt, which was rare about a decade ago, dominates the store shelves with dozens of flavors today. It has become popular partly because it features a thick, creamy texture (口感) and contains more protein and less sugar than regular yogurt.
Greek yogurt has these qualities because of its unique liquid-removing process. Unfortunately, lots of nutrients, including calcium (钙), are sometimes drained, too. Therefore, thickened yogurt and regular yogurt offer different nutritional benefits. 4.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that it's the added sugar, not the naturally- occurring sugar (which is removed in Greek yogurt), that should be the cause of our concern. Fruit-flavored yogurts that appear to be healthy may have little actual fruit and plenty of added sugar instead. 5.
A.Consumers, however. are not confused only about fat.
B.Mixing them up and enjoying both might be a good idea.
C.With so many conflicting headlines about fat these days, it's no wonder people are confused when buying dairy products.
D.Our best bet might be to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it ourselves using fresh fruit.
E.There are so many choices that we often find it hard to decide which yogurt to buy.
F.They're naturally ''packaged'' with so many important nutrients that it would be misguided to avoid them.
G.Yet more research needs to be done for us to fully understand dairy fat’s health impact .
A man in northwest Spain, 54, died after being stung by a “ murder hornet (大黄蜂)”, according to a report. The man from Villestro in Galicia was stung in the eyebrow by an Asian giant hornet while tending to a nest close to a beehive he owned. The deadly insects from Asia were first spotted last weekend in Washington State. Such reports have caused a national panic that may lead to more “needless” damage to those essential insect populations, the experts warned. “Millions and millions of innocent native insects are going to die as a result of this,” Dr. Doug Yanega, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, told the Los Angeles Times. “People in China, Korea and Japan have lived side by side with these hornets for hundreds of years and it has not caused the collapse of human society there. My colleagues in Japan, China and Korea are just rolling their eyes in disbelief at what kind of snowflakes we are.”
Following the initial hornet sightings on May 2, the Washington State Department of Agriculture issued instructions on how to trap the hornets, stressing that so far, the hornets have been sighted only within the state. “There are no known sightings of Asian giant hornets anywhere else in the United States and trapping for them there will likely do more harm than good. PLEASE DO NOT TRAP FOR ASIAN GIANT HORNETS IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON STATE,” the warning read. The concern for bees has originated from their role in the general ecosystem: Bees are responsible for pollinating (授粉) approximately 75 percent of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States, according to the U. S. Geological
Numerous bug experts said that what they call “murder hornet” reminds them of the 1970s public when Africanized honeybees, nicknamed “killer bees”, started moving north from South America. However, they just kill people in rare situations.
1.What does the underlined word “snowflakes” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.People favoring cold weather.
B.People with a habit of rolling eyes.
C.Someone easily getting mad or offended.
D.Small pieces of frozen water falling from the sky.
2.Why does trapping hornets do more harm than good?
A.Because these insects seldom kill people.
B.Because insects do harm to the general ecosystem.
C.Because they are seen only in Washington state.
D.Because most plants in America depend on bees to grow.
3.What is the purpose of writing the text?
A.To teach the public ways to trap hornets.
B.To warn the public to stay away from hornets.
C.To appeal to people to live in harmony with hornets.
D.To remind people of the past killing cases by hornets.
4.Where is the text most likely from?
A.An essay. B.A news report.
C.A tourist brochure. D.A geography textbook.
Juili Kale was looking forward to receiving her master's degree at Arizona State University. She planned to invite her family living in India to the United States for her graduation ceremony. But then, in March, the coronavirus pandemic ended those plans as schools nationwide closed to stop the spread. Kale's dream of spending time with family members on her big day came crashing down. Yet the graduation ceremony is taking place—just not as she expected.
University officials have turned to robots so Arizona State graduates and their families can take part in the event online. Cameras recorded images of Kale and about 140 other graduates online this month. They were wearing robes and mortar board caps. They took turns moving a robot at the university that held an eye-level display showing their face. With the help of the robot, they stepped forward to receive their diplomas and take pictures. The robots are from Double Robotics, a company based in Burlingame, California. Before the health crisis, they had been used to help people attend funerals and even marriage ceremonies without traveling.
Sanjeev Khagram is dean of Arizona State's Thunderbird School of Global Management. He said that the video- a ''bittersweet'' experience—was recorded and produced over two days. It may not have been ideal for the students. Khagram admitted. '' But, we want to show that we did everything that we could to celebrate them. When the crisis is over, the class of 2020 can do a real-life walk at any future graduation ceremony they choose. ''
Kale planned to throw a ''watch party'' with her husband at home and her family in India.
Getting used to the online experience was easy for Nancy Sierras Morales. ''We have been able to adapt very quickly because we are used to being on a computer and on the phone almost like 24/7, '' the 22-year-old said. She said that, while it is not the best, it is ''cool...to be like the first class ever to do this''.
''I'm disappointed.'' said 41-year-old Douglas Northcott. He is graduating with a master's degree in applied leadership and management. He called the online event with robots ''creative''. But he looked forward to the real thing. ''And if anything, that makes it better , in that it is spread over two times rather than one. ''
1.What had the robots mainly been used for before the graduation ceremony?
A.Saving travelling for people to attend ceremonies like weddings.
B.Hosting all kinds of ceremonies for people unable to travel.
C.Helping professors with their teaching plans in universities.
D.Amusing people during their travelling to funerals.
2.According to the text, ________ made a fast adjustment to the new situation.
A.Juili Kale B.Sanjeev Khagram
C.Nancy Sierras Morales D.Douglas Northcott
3.According to Sanjeev Khagram, to have a real graduation ceremony, the 2020 graduates can ________.
A.throw an online ''watch party''
B.attend any future graduation ceremony
C.hold another real one by themselves
D.do everything they can to celebrate
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.A disappointing graduation ceremony
B.A graduation ceremony with the help of robots
C.A multifunctional robot from Double Robotics
D.A special experience of students in the health crisis
Ralph Waldo Emerson once quoted that “Nothing great can ever be achieved without enthusiasm.” I have a lot of enthusiasm. This is Northlandz in Flemington, New Jersey. Northlandz is the world’s largest model railroad. Well I guess, you know, everybody has a passion for something, my thing was trains.
I had trains around the Christmas tree as a kid. Wherever I lived I was planning track plans and then over 18 years I added five basements onto the house. And from that I got fairly good at making mountains and bridges and design work and we decided to give it to the world so we tore it all down, bought this land and built Northlandz.
Any given day we run between 85 and 90 trains. Here are some of the details in Northlandz inside—about 40,000 feet of track, and about 4,000 buildings over 400 bridges. Many of the mountains in here are three and a half stories high. Most things in here are scratch built. Underneath the entire superstructure there’s enough lumber to build about 42 large houses. It takes a few hours to go through for the average person to see everything.
We went millions into debt to build this place. Everybody thought we were nuts. The only one that believed in what I wanted to do was my wife and she was totally with me on this big time. It’s an artistic effort. It’s a gift to the world of what I can do and it makes a lot of people happy.
1.In Para. 1 the quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson is used to .
A.show that the author is as outstanding as Ralph Waldo Emerson
B.illustrate the author’s passion for the creation of Northlandz
C.draw readers’ interest in the model railroad called Northlandz
D.explain why the author is successful in his career
2.What can be inferred from Para. 2?
A.The author could drive trains around as a kid.
B.The author decided to donate the house to the world.
C.When he was 18. the author built five basements of the house.
D.The author’s hobby since childhood inspired his building Northlandz.
3.What can we learn about Northlandz?
A.It is the largest real railroad throughout the world.
B.There run 85 trains on the 40,000 feet of track every day.
C.People have to spend much time appreciating every detail of it.
D.Many mountains in it are so high as to reach three and a half meters.
4.What did people think of the author’s devotion to building the place?
A.Crazy and skeptical.
B.Artistic and admirable.
C.Ambitious and pleasant.
D.Frustrating and unbelievable.
